Tandil travel guide

Tandil is an attractive town, with a light breezy feel, and a centre for outdoor activities, making it a good base for exploring the nearby sierras. There are a couple of marvellous estancias in the area and a clutch of restaurants, cafés and bars within the town. On the south side of the main Plaza Independencia are the neoclassical Municipalidad (1923), the former Banco Hipotecario Nacional (1924) and the Iglesia del Santísimo Sacramento (1878), inspired (apparently) by the Sacre Coeur in Paris. Six blocks south of the plaza, up on a hill, is the Parque Independencia, with a granite entrance in Italianate style, built by the local Italian community to celebrate the town’s centenary. Inside the park, the road winds up to a vantage point, where there’s a Moorish-style castle, built by the Spanish community to mark the same event, with marvellous views over the surrounding sierras. At the base of the hill is an amphitheatre, where a famous community theatre event takes place during Easter week (book accommodation ahead). South of the park is the Lago del Fuerte, a popular place for water sports; bathing is possible at the Balneario del Sol in a complex of several swimming pools. For more information on the city, see http://www.tandil.com (in Spanish).

West of the plaza on the outskirts of town is Cerro Calvario, an easy walk leading to the Capilla Santa Gemma at the top. Further away, 5 km from town, Cerro El Centinela has a large, attractive, family-oriented tourist complex that includes a 1.2-km cable car ride, a good restaurant (book your table in advaance) and swimming pools.

It’s easy to get out of the city to explore the hilly countryside on foot or by bike. Heading south past the lake, follow Avenida Don Bosco or one of the nearby tree-lined roads, into the beautiful surroundings. Note that you should not enter any private land without permission. Instead, contact local tour operators who have arranged exclusive access with the land owners. The main tourist information office (at the access to town (next to R226), Av Cte Espora 1120, T02293-432073, Mon-Sat 0800-2000, Sun 0900-1300) is very well organized and has good brochures and urban maps. There are other offices in the main plaza (near the corner of General Rodríguez NS Pinto, Mon-Fri 0600-1300, 1800-2000, http://www.tandil.gov.ar) and at the bus terminal (Av Buzón 650, T02293-432092) 12 blocks northeast of the centre. The railway station (Av Machado and Colón, T02293- 423002) is 15 blocks north of the plaza.

Six kilometres south is the 140-ha Reserva Natural Sierra del Tigre, with good views over Tandil from Cerro Venado. Foxes and guanacos can be seen occasionally, as well as exotic llamas, and there is a small zoo (daily 1000-1700, US$1.50)....read more